A Few Hours Since Commander Shepard's Awakening.
Cerberus Space Facility.
Cerberus Facility Main Lobby.
The facility's main lobby entrance opened, allowing Savage and a squad comprising eight Drones to enter. The Cerberus operatives watching the new arrivals within the observation/data storage room were suddenly glad that their location was separated from the lobby via heavily reinforced glass. The Drones underneath Savage's command performed a perimeter sweep of the area. Once the perimeter sweep was finished and the Drones reported no threats within the lobby, Savage activated an Omni-tool gifted to him by the Queen.
"The perimeter is secure," Savage glared at the Cerberus personnel in the observation room, which coward underneath the intensity. "You can enter without fear of danger, my Queen." A moment later, the lobby entrance opened again though Commander Shepard walked inside whilst being flanked by Rage and several other shotgun-wielding Drones. Miranda and Jacob followed shortly after the heroine, although their hands were currently tied up and escorted by Drones that would fire upon either of them if they try anything against their Queen.
Miranda's expression was one of frustration as she was forcefully pushed into the area. "Honestly, Commander, this isn't necessary," the attractive female Cerberus operative glared at the Drones escorting her. "We're on the same side." The Drones tasked with guarding Miranda scoffed at the claim that they're on the same side. Cerberus was an enemy, and the only reason why neither Miranda nor Jacob's brains weren't decorating the walls was that Shepard ordered them not to harm the Cerberus operatives.
"Miranda, I don't think the Commander sees us as allies at the moment," Jacob told his fellow operative as he watched Shepard gaze out the lobby viewport towards the massive whitish sun shining in the distance.
"He's right," Shepard turned her gaze to the captive operatives. "Until I know the entire situation, you'll just have to get used to being held captive by the Drones." A smug smirk found its way onto the Locust Queen's lips. "Besides, I did your little pop quiz about my life during the journey here, so the least you can do is wait patiently until the meeting with the Illusive Man is over." Depending on what she learned during this little chat with the leader of Cerberus, Shepard would either keep the two captives or release them.
Miranda's left eyebrow twitched as more frustration built up within her. "Fine." The former Director of Project Lazarus replied with an annoyed tone. "The Illusive Man is waiting for you in the other room," Miranda gestured to the short hallway that leads to the meeting place. "I personally recommend that you get there quickly as our leader doesn't like to waste time." The sooner Shepard meets the Illusive Man, the quicker she and Jacob can be freed from being held prisoner by the Drones.
"Good luck, Commander." Jacob saluted the heroine of the galaxy. The guarding Drones stared with suspicion at the man's behaviour as they didn't think that a Cerberus operative was capable of showing proper respect to the Queen. Shepard returned the saluted before heading towards the meeting room; Savage dutifully followed his Queen though paused next to Rage and whispered into his brother's ear.
"If we're not back within two hours, kill the Lapdog and the Bitch." Rage nodded and then watched the Queen and Savage walk down the short hallway and into the meeting room.
Meeting Room.
"Okay, a little empty to be a meeting place." Shepard gazed around the room. There was nothing inside except for a strange circler device constructed into the floor. Her Drones escort glared with suspicion as they neither saw nor smelled a human within this location. The Commander stepped on the circle to see if it did anything and was rewarded by an orange electronic grid. Savage and his brethren raised their weapons at the grid's sudden appearance yet lowed them a second later when Shepard raised a hand to signal that everything was alright.
"Well, this certainly is trippy," Shepard looked around as the empty room was transformed into a holographic recreation of an office covered mostly in darkness. "And he must be the Illusive Man." The infamous leader of Cerberus was older than Shepard had suspected initially. The glowing blue eyes also indicated that the man sitting upon an expensive swivel chair and smoking a cigarette had undergone cybernetic surgery. Whether it was done out of necessity or choice, the Saviour of the Council couldn't tell.
"Commander Shepard." The Illusive Man politely greets while taking a deep inhale of his cigarette.
"I thought we'd be meeting face to face." Shepard crosses her arms as she gazed at the Illusive Man. The holo-communication device was a new piece of technology that she never saw before when she'd been hunting for Saren. The fact that a criminal organisation had access to it meant that they're funded by influential people, maybe even getting help from high ranking Alliance military officers. Shepard made a mental note to inform Anderson about the technology and the suspected support Cerberus was getting from within the Alliance when she sees him again.
"A necessary precaution." The Illusive Man explained while the red sun seen through the viewport behind the man shined brightly. "Not unusual for people who know what you and I know."
Shepard's eyebrow raised in curiosity. "What exactly is it that you and I know?" The spectre had an idea, yet it was better for the Illusive Man to confirm her suspicions.
The Illusive Man inhaled more smoke from the cigarette. "That our place in the universe is more fragile than we'd like to think." His cybernetic eyes shined with conviction and determination. "That one woman. One specific woman. Might be all that stands between humanity and the greatest threat of our brief existence." Shepard's expression turned stony as she was intimately familiar with the threat that the Illusive Man was talking about.
"The Reapers."
The Illusive Man smiled. "Good to see your memory's still intact." The man inhaled from his cigarette. Shepard was starting to think that the Cerberus leader had a smoking problem. "How are you feeling?" Illusive Man breathed out a cloud of smoke which vanished after a moment.
The Commander's eyes narrowed with displeasure. "I'm not happy in the slightest," she uncrossed her arms whilst glaring at the Illusive Man. "Although, I can't imagine anyone would be pleased to learn that their Stem cells were taken without consent and used to create a new species." The Illusive Man blankly stared at Shepard whilst lighting a new cigarette. The leader of Cerberus inhaled a vast amount of smoke and then released it shortly after bathing the entire office in a thick cloud.
"I'm not going to apologise for approving Code L, Shepard." The Illusive Man bluntly told the slayer of Sovereign without a hint of regret. "Humanity needs all the advantages it can get when the Reapers arrive to harvest the galaxy. The Drones are the perfect soldiers loyal, powerful, and most importantly would die if you give the command." True, there were only thirty serving under Shepard's command at the moment, but given enough resources and time, their numbers could rise to millions or perhaps billions. The Illusive Man had enough time and the accumulated resources to breed such an army. With the threat of the Reapers, such a fighting force was a necessity beyond imagining.
Rage bubbled within Shepard at the man's disregard for her feelings on the matter. "You've no idea how much I want to punch your face right about now." The mere idea of punching the unrepentant bastard at this very moment was beyond tempting. "However, there are other problems to worry about," Shepard sighed while moving her thoughts away from the idea of hurting the Illusive Man. "Like, where the hell is Dr Wilson?" The scientist was dangerous and couldn't be allowed to run free.
The Illusive Man frowned. "I'm not your enemy Shepard," the Commander withheld a snort; the guy had a funny way to show that he's an ally. "And as for Dr Wilson, I'm afraid to say that he's covered his tracks heavily. It will take time before our operatives that specialise in intelligence gathering can find the location of his new base." The Illusive Man's cybernetic eyes glowed with dark intent. Wilson was a traitor, and worse, held certain secretes that mustn't see the light of day. A kill team would've to be sent to terminate Dr Wilson once the madman's location was discovered.
"Let me know when you've found Dr Wilson." Shepard owed the madman a bullet to the head, and she didn't trust that Cerberus can adequately take care of the leading researcher of Code L.
"I'll inform you as soon as I've gotten his located," Illusive Man lied as the Cerberus leader couldn't afford for Shepard to meet Dr Wilson. The maniac would undoubtedly spill every secret he holds to the Commander so he might gain her favour. "Now then, let's get back to the main reason as to why you're here." Shepard gazed with distrust for a moment before nodding in agreement.
"Alright," the spectre's expression was for utmost seriousness. "What are the Reapers doing that made you decide to bring me back?" It had to be something that threatened humanity as Shepard highly doubted that the man sitting before her would go to such lengths to resurrect the Saviour of the galaxy if only other races were threatened by the Reapers.
The Illusive Man rises from his chair while a grim expression was etched upon his face. "We're at war. No one wants to admit it, but humanity is under attack." He moved across the office and stood before Shepard. "While you've been hibernating, entire colonies have been disappearing." A pause. "Human colonies." Well, this certainly explained why the Illusive Man was so invested in bringing her back to life. If colonies were disappearing, then she'll do whatever it took to find the people taken, as was her duty as an Alliance soldier and a Council spectre.
"We believe that it's someone working for the Reapers. Just as Saren and the Geth aided Sovereign." That made sense to the Commander as Sovereign, and his kind seemed to like using others to get the job done without overly risking themselves. "You've seen it yourself. You bested all of them. That's just one reason we chose you." Shepard knew he had a point; she fought the worst that Sovereign could throw at her and still ended up winning against the genocidal machine.
Still, something about this whole situation didn't feel right with the Commander. "Fighting a war doesn't seem like Cerberus. Why are you involved?" Cerberus was a human supremacist organisation getting involved with a war against the Reapers could drastically weaken them, and since they're wanted criminals, it could lead to their destruction.
"We are committed to the advancement and preservation of humanity." The Illusive Man took another smoke from the cigarette. "If the Reapers are targeting us, trying to wipe us out," determination was flooding out of the man's cybernetic eyes. "Cerberus will stop them." The Illusive Man was dedicated to his organisation's objective to protect humanity, and Shepard could reluctantly respect that kind of conviction. "If we wait for politicians or the Alliance to act. No more human colonies will be left." While she would disagree that the Alliance wouldn't do anything until it was too late. However, experience has taught the Command that politicians were next to useless in situations that involved the Reapers.
"Sovereign was trying to harvest all life in the galaxy." An image of the Reaper flashed through her mind. "Why would the Reapers target a few human colonies?" It didn't make much sense as the goal of the Reapers was to exterminate every sentient species within the known galaxy, so how was taking some random human colonists suppose to help with that objective.
"Hundreds of thousands of colonists have vanished. I'd say that fits the definition of harvesting." The Commander grimaced at the number of humans vanishing. "Nobody's paying attention because it's random, and the attacks occur in remote locations." Okay, that sounded like a tactic that the Reapers would use, hide in the shadows and strike at those that couldn't protect themselves from the genocidal machines.
"I don't know why they've suddenly targeted humanity." The Illusive Man admitted without shame. "Maybe you got their attention when you killed one of them." That wouldn't have surprised Shepard if that was the truth, as her sole interaction with Sovereign had taught the Commander that Reapers were an arrogant lot that saw themselves above everything else. The death of Sovereign probably throw the rest through a mental loop.
"You could've trained an entire army for what you spent to bring me back." That had confused the spectre surely; an army was better to send against the Reapers than one person even if they managed to kill a Reaper.
Fortunately, the Illusive Man was more than happy to explain. "You're unique. Not just in ability or what you've experienced, but in what you represent." Shepard's eyes slightly narrowed as the spectre felt he was talking about her advanced healing and Drone creation when he mentioned ability. "You stood for humanity at a key moment. "She wanted to tell Illusive Man that she stood up for all species that day on the Citadel yet chose to hold her tongue for the time being. "You're more than a soldier. You're a symbol."
"And I don't know if the Reapers understand fear, but you killed one. They have to respect that." Doubtful, Sovereign didn't show respect to anything and loved to voice how superior its kind was to Shepard, and its death probably had little effect on how Reapers viewed other lifeforms.
Shepard sighed with resignation as she now knew which path to take. "If you're after the Reapers, just point me in the right direction." An enemy to the Alliance Cerberus may be yet for the sake of the human colonists; she'll have to work with the organisation until she found the source of the threat and eradicate it.
"Miranda warned me that you might be resistant to the idea of helping us, especially after you've discovered Code L." A pleased grin was etched on the man's face. "She's not usually wrong." The Illusive Man walked back to his Chair. "I have a shuttle ready to take you and your Drones to Freedom's Progress, the latest colony to be abducted." He sat down. "Miranda and Jacob will brief you." Shepard wasn't reassured with the idea of having those two along for the operation and was quick to let her doubts be known.
"Miranda allowed Dr Wilson to escape and approved Code L to be started. Jacob's just a gun for hire. You expect me to trust them?" Granted, Jacob has proven to be at least somewhat trustworthy. However, Miranda has come off as arrogant and overconfident ever since she met Lazarus's former Director. The only people Shepard was remotely okay with trusting at the moment were the Drones, and that was because they've proven to be loyal and capable soldiers.
"Before his insanity consumed him, Dr Wilson was one of my best agents. Miranda sadly underestimated him and thus lost the opportunity to end him." The Illusive Man breathed out another cloud of smoke. "However, despite her failure to kill Wilson, she's saved your life in more ways than one." The Cerberus leader relaxed into the chair while the sun behind him shined brightly.
"Jacob's a soldier, one of the best. He's never fully trusted me, but he's always been honest about it." The Illusive Man's tone held amusement as if he found Jacob's behaviour to be both refreshing and humorous. "You'll be just fine with them," a short pause. "For now." That was probably the best she would get from him when it came to Miranda and Jacob. Plus, the backup might come in handy when on Freedom's Progress she'll just have to remember to tell Savage that neither he nor his brothers could shot the Cerberus operatives whilst on the mission.
"What do you think I'll find there?" A clue as to what might be behind the abductions would help her prepare for the worst while hoping for the best.
"If I knew that, I wouldn't need to send you." The Illusive Man bluntly replied. "Find any clues you can. Who's abducting the colonists? Do they have any connection to the Reapers?" He explained with a grim expression. "I brought you back. It's up to you to do the rest." The Cerberus leader pressed a holo-button causing the device linking their locations together to go offline. Within seconds Shepard saw the Illusive Man's office replaced with the white walls and empty room that she entered a while ago. Savage seeing that the Queen was finished with the Illusive Man, stepped forward and bowed to his sovereign.
"I take it that your business with the Cerberus leader is concluded, my Queen?" Shepard nodded while the Drones returned to their flanking positions. "Excellent, then we should reunite with Rage and the others before the Cerberus operatives start something they'll regret." Plus, the Cerberus personnel had only an hour left before Rage started shooting at everything that wasn't a Locust. From what Savage could gather from the Queen's conversation, Cerberus were now temporary allies, much to the leader Drone's displeasure.
The company of Queen and Drones left the meeting room and went back to the main lobby.
Cerberus Facility Main Lobby.
"Well, at least they've not tried to murder each other while I was away." Shepard gazed around the lobby; the Drones were scattered across the area in defensive formations. Jacob was stargazing from the lobby viewport whilst two Drones kept an eye on the Cerberus soldier. Miranda also had Drones watching her every move as she worked at a terminal, probably getting the after-action reports of the Lazarus station done. The Commander didn't envy her as reports were a pain in the ass no matter how far up the chain of command you were.
"The Illusive Man is very impressed with you." Miranda casually inform while working on the necessary reports from the terminal. "I'm eager to see if you can live up to his expectations on this mission." The two Drones guarding the Cerberus operative growled in warning as they weren't pleased with how Miranda addressed the Queen.
"I just hope you'll remember who's in charge of this operation," Shepard frowned at Miranda. "I can't have anyone disobeying my commands when we get there." That type of insubordination can quickly get the whole team killed; Shepard had seen it happen many times during her time as an Alliance marine when others thought they knew better than their superior officer.
"I know who I report to." The subtle hint that it wasn't her didn't escape Shepard's notice. "As long as you don't do anything to betray Cerberus, I'll follow your orders." Miranda glanced up from the terminal. "Now, is there anything else you'd like to ask, Commander?"
"Actually, there is something I'd like to ask," Shepard lifted an arm and clenched her hand feeling the muscles within tightening. "It's about my hyper-regeneration." Miranda's eyes gazed towards the Commander with interest. "My entire life, I've gotten into life-threatening fights and been heavily injured during them. However, neither Dr Chakwas nor myself knew or seen this regeneration ability of mine." The former Lazarus Director hummed while shutting down the terminal.
"Of course, you wouldn't have noticed as the mutation within your genetic code was dormant during most of your adult life and the hunt for Saren." Shepard looked away from her hand and gazed at Miranda with curiosity. "It wasn't until you were blasted into space with a damaged suit, fell through a planet's atmosphere and impacted the ground did the mutation become active." The way Miranda said that was as if she was talking about the weather. "We've speculated the activation of your regeneration capabilities was a survival mechanism intended to ensure your continued existence."
"Honestly, it's amazing what your biology allows you to withstand," Miranda's tone was genuinely amazed as she talked about Shepard's unique mutation. "It would take massive amounts of damage to force your body back into hibernation. Even then, with your new abilities, you'll only be down for a few hours before getting back into the fight provided that enough nutrients are given to your form to help speed up the process." The Commander was nearly immortal at this point. If anyone wanted to put her down for good, they'd have to incinerate every cell within Shepard's body, and it was doubtful that the spectre would just let that happen without a fight.
"I'll be sure to avoid getting into that hibernation state again." Experiencing death once was enough for Shepard though she made a note to experiment with the regeneration during any free time that the spectre might have during this investigation.
"Please do," Miranda rested against the terminal. "As fascinating as examining your body undergo regeneration is, I'd rather get actual work done than stare at your unmoving form for hours on end." Savage glared at Miranda with disdain, and his brethren appeared to be mere moments away from blasting the Cerberus operative's brains out. Shepard's eyebrow raised as she noted some slight hostility from Miranda.
"Call me crazy, but it appears that you don't seem to like me." It wasn't hatred, as Shepard has seen that emotion enough times to know when someone is staring at her with it.
A snort left Miranda as she gestured at the Drones surrounding them. "Perhaps my dislike has to do with being held prisoner onboard one of Cerberus's own facilities." If she wanted Shepard to feel sorry for taking her prisoner, then Miranda was going to be disappointed. "However, as unhappy as I am about this whole captive situation, I've only got the highest respect for your abilities. It's your motivations that concern me." That was fair as Shepard held zero loyalty to Cerberus and was only interested in finding the abducted colonists.
" I believe in what Cerberus stands for." So Miranda genuinely believed in the human supremacist organisation that didn't surprise the Commander or the nearby Drones in the slightest. "Only time will tell if you prove to be an asset or a liability to our cause." Huh, it was like talking to a walking propaganda machine; Shepard prayed that there was more to Miranda than a loyal servant to the Illusive Man. Seeing as trying to understand more about Project Lazarus and Miranda's attitude was going poorly at the moment, the Commander decided to switch topics to the upcoming mission.
"What can you tell me about this colony we're going to?" Any information about the colony could drastically help discover what happened to the colonists and avoid potential dangers like Thresher Maw nesting sites or natural disasters like hurricanes or earthquakes. The Saren hunt had granted Shepard with a unique experience when it comes to deadly environments and hazards. The Commander vowed after the hunt to stay the hell away from Thresher Maw nests after that one time she had accidentally driven the mako into a female's maw and blasted its head clean off.
"Freedom's Progress?" Miranda's expression turned thoughtful. "It's a typical human settlement in the Terminus Systems. They had a small military force for protection supplemented by mechs and security drones." Shepard filed away that piece of info and flagged it as major importance. While colony mechs and drones weren't programmed to harm humans, Savage and the Drones were another matter entirely; once at Freedom's Progress, it would be a fight against the left-behind security mechs so they can find clues as to what was abducting the colonists.
"Average in almost every away, really, completely unremarkable. Until the disappearance." In that case, the security machines numbers would be determined by the size of the settlement and its value to the Alliance, as was standard protocol when it came to colonies.
"Any thoughts on what we might run into there?"
Miranda seemed to become annoyed at that question. "A lot of empty buildings, mechs attacking your Drones once we've arrived and one giant mystery." Yeah, Shepard started to see that had been a dumb question. The Commander asked a few more questions about Project Lazarus, Code L and about Miranda herself. During these next few minutes of conversation, Shepard even learned that Miranda was a powerful biotic and had been genetically engineered to be some kind of superhuman. From behind Shepard, Savage's eyes narrowed as he mentally noted to keep a closer eye on Miranda as she could be a serious threat to the Queen.
"I think we're done here." Shepard made a shooing gesture with her hand, and much to Miranda's surprise, the Drones guarding her left to join the others on the defensive perimeter. "I'm giving you the benefit of the doubt, Miranda, do not disappoint me." The Commander turned and headed off towards Jacob, no doubt to have a conversation with the former Alliance soldier. Savage, however, stayed back long enough to whisper into Miranda's ear.
"The Queen may trust you now, Cerberus dog, but one day I shall take great pleasure mounting your head on the wall." Miranda gazed at the back of Savage. The Drone was dangerous and would make sure to enact its threat if Cerberus ever betrayed the Commander. The necessary countermeasures will need to be devised in case Shepard ever decides to betray Cerberus. An army of Drones unleashed against their organisation was the last thing Cerberus required to deal with as the Reapers were coming, and fighting a war on two fronts could spell the end of them.
Meanwhile, Shepard reached Jacob, who, upon noticing the Commander, turned away from the viewport. "I'm glad the Illusive Man convinced you to join us, Commander." The two Drones beside Jacob bowed to their Queen in greeting.
"I just agreed to work with him." Replied Shepard, who wanted to clarify to Jacob that this was a partnership and not her joining Cerberus. "I still don't trust him." That was an understatement as she'd rather trust a resurrected Saren. At least the dead rogue spectre could be counted on to put the safety of the whole galaxy first rather than just his species.
"Do you trust me, Commander?" There wasn't any accusation in his tone. Jacob was genuinely curious to know if she trusted him.
"Honestly, I haven't made up my mind about you yet." Shepard decided on the trip to the facility to hold judgment on Jacob until she got to know him better. The man allowed himself to be taken prisoner by the Drones to prevent any fighting and freely gave away information on Code L; those two things earned Jacob a chance to show he was a good person to the galactic heroine.
Jacob smiled upon hearing the Commander's answer. "At least you're giving me a chance. Most Alliance soldiers hate Cerberus on principle." Shepard withheld the urge to roll her eyes since, as an officially recognised terrorist organisation, Cerberus was hated by everyone within the galaxy and not just by Alliance soldiers.
"Do you know anything about this colony we're going to?" Shepard changed the subject to the mission as she wanted to see if Jacob knew anything about the colony that Miranda didn't.
Jacob seemed to think about it for a moment. "It's called Freedom's Progress. Don't know much else." Hum, so nothing new to add to the limited information regarding the colony; they'll soon be visiting. "I guess we'll find out when we get there." Shepard didn't like the limited info on Freedom's Progress as past experiences told the Commander that going in blind usually ends up with her fighting for her life in the middle of a war zone or an exploding secrete base, typically both if Shepard's luck was bad enough. However, as much as Shepard dislikes it, she'll have to go charging in blind for this investigation.
The conversation went to Shepard asking about Jacob's time with the Alliance. The Cerberus operative revealed that he'd served for five years within the Alliance military and a couple more as a corsair. A military branch Shepard hadn't known about and was given missions outside Alliance jurisdiction. If caught, the upper brass would disavow any involvement with the corsairs. Jacob had eventually grown tired of the red trap involved with the Alliance and just gave up and left the corsairs. He joined Cerberus because Jacob wanted to make a difference, and Shepard could respect him for the motivation, not so much who the former Alliance soldier was working for.
"I believe we're done here," much like before Shepard got the Drones to leave Jacob. "We're leaving in a minute, so I suggest that you gather whatever gear you need for the mission." Jacob saluted the Saviour of the Council, who turned and left for the shuttles that would take them to Freedom's Progress which was a two days trip from the Cerberus facility. The Drones that manned the perimeter followed their Queen leaving only the two Cerberus operatives within the lobby. Miranda glanced at Jacob, and both know that earning the Commander's trust while the Drones were around would be difficult, yet for the sake of humanity, a working relationship with Shepard was needed.
The hunt for the missing human colonists has started.
Time Skip, Two Days Later.
Freedom's Progress Settlement.
Cerberus Shuttle Landing Site.
The roar of shuttle engines roared throughout the sole town of Freedom's Progress as three Cerberus shuttles come soaring through the sky and swiftly proceeded to land at a site that appeared to be a prefab landing pad designed for cargo shuttles. Which would usually arrive monthly with much need supplies for the colony. Once the shuttles touched down, they opened, allowing the Locust Drones to hop out and take a defensive permitter around the landing pad. Shepard, Miranda and Jacob came out moments later when Savage told his Queen that there were no enemies in sight.
"The area surrounding our shuttles is completely silent, my Queen," Savage glanced at the prefab structures that littered the surrounding area. It appeared that the site for the landing pad for cargo shuttles was also being used to house settlers. "The likelihood of their being survivors of the unknown enemies attack here are slim." The Queen had been quite clear on the trip here that she wants to search for survivors, and Savage agreed with the idea as survivors could tell them much about the unknown enemy of the Queen.
"We'll still sweep the area for survivors," if there was any chance to find anyone that escaped the abduction, then Shepard wanted to take it. "Mourn, take your snipers and find suitable locations to give us covering fire. I suspect that the security mechs wouldn't take too kindly to our presence." Mourn and five Sniper Drones bowed to their Queen before disappearing from view thanks to the tactical clocks that Shepard had Cerberus gift them before leaving the facility.
"Miranda, Jacob, you're on point with me," the two Cerberus operatives flanked the Commander's sides whilst an honour guard of Drones lead by Savage surround the humans and Locust Queen. "Remember, we're here to find clues as to what happened here and hopefully locate any colonists that might've escaped the attack." The Cerberus members and Drones sounded their acknowledgement to their mission objectives. The Commander gazed at the massive cargo bay door just a few prefab structures away from them. If Shepard wanted more profound access to the town, then that door was what she and her team would have to go through.
"Alright, time to get some answers, people." Shepard marched to the prefab house that was blocking their way. The heavy footfall of boots filled the air as the Drones dutifully followed their Queen. The marching creatures that surrounded Shepard made for an intimidating sight. It was an army of super-soldiers united underneath one banner, one purpose, one leader, and it was about to march into the heart of Freedom's Progress in search of the newest enemy of their Queen. If the foe was here within the settlement, then they'll crush them underneath their boots.
The investigation into Freedom's Progress has officially begun.